Process of and apparatus for handling and mixing coal



March 16 1926.

C. P. RQSS PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING AND MIXING 'coAL Filed Feb. 5, 1923 I7T072707 Czyde Z 22 /536 Attorngyfi ratus Patented Mar. 16, 1926.-

UNITED STATES I 1,577,365 PATENT OFFICE.

CLYDE I. ROSS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

, PROCESS OF AND APIARATUS FOR HANDLING AND MIXING COAL.

Application filed February 5, 1923. Serial No. 616,882.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLYDE P. Ross, a citiizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of II- linois, have invented a certain new and useful Im rovement in Processes of and Appaor Handling and Mixing Goal, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus and process for handling and mixing material, and particularly for handling and mixing coal. One object of the invention is to provide a homogeneous mixture of different grades of coal or other materlal which may be readily made, each grade of coal being added in a predetermined roport on. Other objects will a pear from time to time throughout the s ecification and clalms.

An apparatus or carrying out the process is illustrated in one form in the accompanying drawing, which is a partial vertical cross section of a coal handling plant.

Like parts are designated 'by like characters throughout.

A is a housing within which the coal mixing and handling apparatus is mounted. As here shown it is in the form of a concrete chamber. The parts might, however, be mounted separately on individual supporting frames and need not be enclosed. The housing A is provided with a sloplng top A It has a coal chute A communicating with an inlet door A. On the opposite side is a second coal chute A communicating with a second door A".

I shall first describe the mechanism illustrated on the right hand side of the drawing. B is a gate mounted on the inside of the housing A and carried by a chain B This chain is adapted to run over a sheave B and-is secured to a shaft B The shaft may be rotated by any suitable means the details of which are not here shown as they form nopart of the present invention. Mounted on the shaft B is a ratchet B, and a pawl B adapted to engage the ratchet to prevent accidental reverse movement of the shaft B. When the'gate-B is raised in the full line position coal will run into the feeder and will stand at about the line X. When the parts are in this position approximately 3750' pounds of coal will run into the feeder. If the gate be lowered to the position indicated-in dotted lines, the coal will stand at about the line X When in that position there will be 3250 pounds of coal in the feeder. These quantities may of course be greatly varied by different proportionmg of the parts and different setting of the gate B. I have given these merely to illustrate one formof combinations. O is a feeder bin fixed on the inside of the housing A and in register with a door A It is irregularly shaped as shown and provided with an open top and with a h nged bottom gate G The gate is provided with side apron-s C and stops C. In the full line position shown it is closed and is held closed by a latch C. This latch is opened by means, not here shown, to permit opening of the gate. Any other latch mechanism might be used as its details form no part of the present invention. Mounted on the bottom of the gate C is a contact point C adapted to assist in closing the gate in a manner which will be described below. Mounted within the feeder C is a baffle late D. It is fixed to the inner walls 0 the feeder and is also supported from the shaft D which extends through the feeder.

Pivotally mounted on the shaft D is an under-cut gate E provided with side aprons E E The gate is provided in its top with a stop portion D It is normally held closed in the full line position by means of a cable F which passes over the sheave F and carries at its bottom end a counter-weight F F is a second cable fastened to the member D and passing over a sheave F. By means of this second cable through any suitable mechanism, the gate may be pulled down so as to permit coal to run into the feeder C. The mechanism shown on the left hand side of the drawing is generally similar to that just described. G is a gate, supported on a chain G which passes over a sheave G and is wound about a shaft Gr which carries a ratchet G and a pawl G". The operation of these parts is the same as that of the corresponding parts above described.

H is a feeder bin provided with a door H which has side aprons H and a stop member H". It is normally held closed by a latch H and has a contact point H by means of which it may be closed.

- The feeder His provided, as is the feeder C, with an under-cut gate I, provided with 7 side aprons I I and a stop member I The gate is normally held closed in the position shown in full lines by means'of a cable J which passes'over a shaft J and has at its bottom-end a counter-weight J. J is a feeder H.

Mounted within the under-cut gate is a bafiie L. It is swiveled within the gate at L. It is attached adjacent its other end to an adjusting screw M. This screw is engagied by a nut M which is mounted for rotation about the shaft K. On the outer end of the screw M is an operating handle M By means of the handle the adjusting screw may be rotated and the battle move in and out to vary the amount of coal which may be taken into the gate and through it admitted to the feeder.

N is a track. 0 is a bucket provided with rollers 0 adapted to run in the track N. The bucket may be of any suitable construction. Its details form no part of the present invention. As here shown it is adapted to be raised and lowered by means of a cable O The bucket is provided in each side with an extension P each of which extensions carries a roller P When the bucket gates have been opened into the dotted line position and their contents discharged into the bucket 0, it is raised and may be dumped into a large bin or hopper or discharged in any suitable manner. As the bucket is raised one of the rollers P P contacts each of the points C and H on the ates and thus moves the gates to the closed position where they are latched.

Although I have shown an operative device, still it will be obvious that many changes in size, shape and arrangement of parts mi ht be made without departing materially rom the spirit of my invention, and I wish therefore that my showing be taken as in a sense diagrammatic. In particular the operation of the opening and closing of the bins and the raising and lowering of the bucket may be considerably varied. The form of mechanism here shown is diagrammatic and I do not wish to be limited to the details of my present showing. Different arrangements might be provided within the buckets for controlling the quantity of coal admitted to them and many changes may be made.

The use and operation of my invention are as follows:

Goal of different grades is introduced into each of the feeder bins. The vertically moving gate is adjusted at any suitable height. An undercut gate in each bin is then lowered and coal is allowed to run into it until the bin is full. The undercut gate is then preferably raised and the coal is discharged from the two feeder bins, the streams inter-mingling in the air and being received in a third bucket. That bucket is then raised at the will of the operator and is dumped or discharged in any suitable manner.

I claim:

1. The process of completely mixing coal of different grades while freely falling, which consists in downwardly discharging along separate but ad'acent paths unmeasured quantities of di erent grades of coal, interrupting the downward movement of each of such streams of coal, discharging coal from each of said streams, in measured charges permitting said charges to fall freely through the air, into a common mixing zone in the air, and subsequently conveying the mixed material upwardly from said mixing zone.

2. The process of completely mixing coal of different grades while freely falling, which consists in downwardly dlscharging along separate but ad'acent paths unmeasured quantities of di erent grades of coal, interrupting the downward movement of each of such streams of coal, dischargin coal from each ofsaid streams in measured charges along convergin lines into a common mixing zone, an so timin said charges that they meet and mix w ile in motion in the air, and subsequently conveying the material so mixed upwardly from said mixing zone.

3. The process of completely mixing coal of difi'erent grades while freely falling, which consists in downwardly discharging along separate but adjacent paths unmeasured quantities of different grades of coal, interrupting the downward movement of each of such streams of coal, and discharging coal from each of said streams, in measured charges permitting said charges to fall freely through the air, into a common mixing zone in the air.

.4. The process of completely mixing coal of different grades while freel falling, which consists in downwardly discharging along separate but ad'acent paths unmeasured quantities of 'di erent grades of coal. interrupting the downward movement of each of such streams of coal, discharging coal from each of said streams in measured charges along convergin lines into a common mixing zone, an so timing said charges that they meet and mix While in motion, in the air.

5. In a coal mixing apparatus comprising a plurality of adjacent hoppers, measuring receptacles positioned beneath and adapted to receive material from said hoppers, means for cutting ofi' the flow of coal into said measuring receptacles, means for permitting the discharge of the contents of said measuring receptacles, means for limiting the depth of the flow of coal into said measur ing receptac1es,'and a common mixingreceptacle adapted to be positioned beneath and between said measuring receptacles, and to receive the measured charges discharged therefrom.

6. In a .coal mixing apparatus comprising a plurality of adjacent hoppers, measuring receptacles positioned beneath and adapted to receive material from said hoppers, means for cutting off the flow of coal into said measuring receptacles, means for permitting the discharge of the contents of said measuring receptacles, and a common mixing receptacle adapted to be positioned beneath and between said measuring receptacles, and to receive the measured charges'dis charged therefrom, and means for lifting said mixing receptacle substantially vertically between and above said measuring receptacles.

for cutting off the flow of coal into said v measuring receptacles, gates hinged along their bottoms normally closing the discharge openings of said measuring receptacles, means for opening said gates, a common mixing receptacle adapted to be positioned between and beneath said measuring receptacles, and to receive the measured charges discharged therefrom, means for lifting said mixing receptacle between and above said measuring receptacles, said mixing receptacle-abeing adapted to contact said ates during"-'its upward travel and to close t em. Signed at Chicago, county of Cook and Stat of Illinois, this2nd of February,

1923. g l P. ROSS. 

